Led by Motorola's Advanced Technology and Projects group, Project Ara is developing a free, open hardware platform for creating highly modular smartphones. We want to do for hardware what the Android platform has done for software: create a vibrant third-party developer ecosystem, lower the barriers to entry, increase the pace of innovation, and substantially compress development timelines.

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The design for Project Ara consists of what we call an endoskeleton (endo) and modules. The endo is the structural frame that holds all the modules in place. A module can be anything, from a new application processor to a new display or keyboard, an extra battery, a pulse oximeter - or something not yet thought of!

This could be the biggest innovation in smartphones since, well, the first smartphones appeared on the market. I am incredibly excited about this.

Before it was more normal to build your own PC and install the software you wanted, from the distributor you preferred.

It's never been normal to build your own PC. Sure, it's an option, but only for the kind of person who's actually capable of building their own PC - someone who knows what a motherboard and RAM are, and can operate a screwdriver without injuring themselves.

Most PC users do not fall into that category... they buy pre-assembled machines from Dell or a local store, then replace them with a new one when they eventually die.